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The pasta producers that are using metal [copper] riddle to press pasta through to shape, and theres few of them, will make very good dried pasta, even better of what you can do at home.

This is because the surface of the pasta is more porous after shapin through plastic cheaper riddles/or a rollig pin. And will absorb more sauce.
More than home made with just a rolling pin.
Plus if I was about to serve ten people alone I wouldnt go for a home made.

I'd say I buy Barilla most of the time as well, the dry stuff we have at work just comes in an unmarked plastic bag so I have no idea what brand it is, but then again we are a steakhouse so we have one linguini dish on our menu and thats it.

I've been doing a good amount of experimenting lately with fresh pasta for specials as soon as I discovered that the bakery that serves all the venues at our location was not at all opposed to lending us their "dough/fondant sheeter" for days at a time.

It's an enormous somerset dough sheeter, I am not sure how old it is or the model number but the one in this photo is a fairly accurate representation.

Also to go a little off topic from dry pasta...to those of you with more experience in fresh pasta making, what kind of flour are you using? I have gotten a good feel for the egg to yolk ratios and how wet the dough needs to be, etc. But the little bit of flour experimentation I have done has not seemed to produce any results. I have read that one should incorporate some amount of semolina/ Italian tipo 00, which has lower gluten for a softer pasta. When I checked with our suppliers the only thing I could get was something like a 50 pound bag. Chef said we could go for it, but I really want to know an expert's opinion first.

It used to be Barilla, but I use "Dreamfields" for the past few years. The low digestible carb count has worked in our favor + I always finish pasta in sauce so . . . . .

I am however taking a class in pasta making from scratch - something I've never done and being through the college it costs me nothing so I might as well. I see pasta machines for $20 $25 all over so what the hell. Might get a sharpening customer out of the deal -

I am however taking a class in pasta making from scratch - something I've never done and being through the college it costs me nothing so I might as well. I see pasta machines for $20 $25 all over so what the hell. Might get a sharpening customer out of the deal -

fresh pasta is easily done. no problems. even without a pasta machine, practice is all that's needed and a good deal of elbow grease. =D

Clarification: by making it myself, I meant making pasta intended to be dried and drying it myself in nests. Has anyone done this? A double decker version of that sheeter is what I use to make pasta at work, when it is on the menu. As far as semolina, I think you can get it at whole foods, and I know you can get it at health food stores. It takes forever to kill a #50 bag if you aren't using it every day.

I'd say I buy Barilla most of the time as well, the dry stuff we have at work just comes in an unmarked plastic bag so I have no idea what brand it is, but then again we are a steakhouse so we have one linguini dish on our menu and thats it.

I've been doing a good amount of experimenting lately with fresh pasta for specials as soon as I discovered that the bakery that serves all the venues at our location was not at all opposed to lending us their "dough/fondant sheeter" for days at a time.

It's an enormous somerset dough sheeter, I am not sure how old it is or the model number but the one in this photo is a fairly accurate representation.

Also to go a little off topic from dry pasta...to those of you with more experience in fresh pasta making, what kind of flour are you using? I have gotten a good feel for the egg to yolk ratios and how wet the dough needs to be, etc. But the little bit of flour experimentation I have done has not seemed to produce any results. I have read that one should incorporate some amount of semolina/ Italian tipo 00, which has lower gluten for a softer pasta. When I checked with our suppliers the only thing I could get was something like a 50 pound bag. Chef said we could go for it, but I really want to know an expert's opinion first.

I make pasta for a living and for the sheeted type pasta I use Caputo 00 pasta and gnocchi flour. I get it by the 55lb a bag, but I think it also comes in smaller commercial sizes.